Roundabout



May '12, 1925. 1,537,427

J. A. FISHER Y May l2, 1925.

J. A. FISHER ROUNDABOUT Filed Feb. 2l, 1922 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INvENToR fr@ nia/m.

May 12, 1925. 1,537,427 J. A. FISHER Y ROUNDABOUT Filed Feb. 21, 1922 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVEN-rom fyi/w51?? I QM ma@ Patented May 12, 1925.

LJN-nnen .S'TASrE-s JOHN `A. FISHER, OF SANDUSKY, OI-FLIO.`

Application filed February 21, 1922. Serial-No. 538,247;

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that 1, JOHN A. FISHER, a citizen of the United States, and residing in the city of Sandusky, in vthe county of Erie and State of Ohio,have invented -or discovered a new, useful, and Improved Roundabout, of which the following is a specification. n

My invention .consists `incertain new and useful improvements in rotary passengercariying amusement devices.

Generally speaking, my invention vis characterized by a central frame rotating on a vertical axis; an arm diametrica-lly disposed on said frame and pivoted thereto to swing on a horizontal axis, the ends of-.said arm being provided with passenger cars, which may be designed to represent aeroplanes; and an annular undulating track, concentric with said frame but of greater diameter, which track is engaged vfrom above by said arm at diametrically opposedpoints, where- 1 -by the rotation of said frame causes said passenger cars to revolvev about the 'axis of the machine in a vertically swooping 'or undulating manner, thus simulating theftra'vel of an aeroplane through'the atmosphere.

vOther novel features ,of construction and arrangement of partswill appear'from the following description.

1n the accompanying drawings, which are however merely intended to illustrate `the principles of my invention without` limiting the scope of the same tothe construction shown, Fig. 1 is a view in lperspective of a rotary amusement device embodying the vprinciples of `my invention; Fig. 2 is an elevation on larger scale of said device, with the annular `undulating track shown viii diameti'ic section; Fig. 3 is anenlarged section taken along the line III-H1 in 2 showing the` pivotal mounting of the arinon the frame; Fig. 4 isy ahorizontal .section taken -at right angles to the plane of Fig. 3; Fig. 5 is a detail in section of the rotary frame showing the preferred form of drive therefor.; Fig. 6 is abroken elevation of said frame showing another form of drive therefor, and Fig. 7 is also a broken elevation of the frame showing still another form of` `drive therefor.

lThe following is a detailed description of the drawings, reference being iiist hadto Figs. 1 to 5, inclusive. Y

'The machine is characterizedby the following main elements: A is the central rotary frame, moving on-a 'vertical axis. .B is an arm disposed diametii'cally of frame `A Vand pivotally supported thereon to `swing on a horizontal axis. C represents passenger cars rigidly mounted on the-ends of larmB and adapted to lrevolve around the axis of the machine when rotary movement iis -imparted to lframe A. To increase vthe capacity of the -machine I `may Imount, as shown, a plurality of cars on each end of the arm B. D represents an annular undulating track concentric with the axis of the machine, and which `is engaged from above bythe arm yA, whereby, as the cars C revolve, they are given an up and down or undulating movement, following the lcontour of the track D.

The 'frame A maybe made of wood or -metal members, and'I khave shown the same lof the lfollowing advantageous construction.

y1 i'ep'resentsa pair of Vparallel and spaced apart --sills and'Q represents a second pair of similar sills intersecting sills 1 fat right angles. 3 represents horizontal braces which connect the ends-of the sills of'each pa-ir. ,/1 represents an opposed pair vof gallows frames mounted'on the Vsills 11 and braced by the inclined braces 5, and struts 6.

7 representsl wheels, preferably flanged, and whose axles areijournaled in housings 8, upon/which Vthe braces 3 aremountedand secured. Said wheels vengage an annular fixed ltrack E, thereby supporting the rotary f fameA.

F represents an electric motor mountedon Vthe framekA and having. its sha-ft provided with a traction wheel 9 which engages the track E. rllhus thefian'ie A is power frotated around the track E.

The 'upper ends of the gallows Yframes are provided with opposed vboxes 410 provided with `horizontal bearings 11.

,The arm vB is Lof skeleton const iuctionand is provided at its axis with a bearing box 12 provided` with a horizontal bearing 13 which registers with the bearings 1:1 when the 'arm is in place. 1li is a pivot pin inserted inthe bearings 11 and 13, and 15 represents-cotter pins or other means engaging the ends of said lpin to preventits longitudinal'displacemeiit.

On the outer endsr of said arm B are mmmted the passenger cars C, and the saine' should be rigidly mounted on said arm to prevent any movement of said cars except in unison with the arm.

Said cars may be designed to represent aeroplanes disposed tangentially of the track D, and 16 represents the propeller' blades of said aeroplanes which are prefer'- ably idle on their shafts and pitched so as to whirl when the cars revolve about the axis of the machine.

The track D is supported from t-he O'round and is concentric with the machine. aid track is characterized by alternate rises and dips, so that it presents an undulating surface, a rise or elevation being opposed diametrically by a dip or depression of corresponding value relative to the plane of the horizontal axis of the arm B.

The arm B is provided on its under side with anti-friction members adapted to engage the track D as the Aframe A is rotated. Thus I have shown said arm provided with socket plates 17 having sleeves which extend upwardly to receive the stems 18 of yoke members 19 in whichare ourna-led the axles of the rollers 20.

Said rollers run along the track D andto insure contact between the rollers and the track, I prefer to coil helical springs 21 about the stem 18 between the yokes 19 and the faces of plates 17. Thus should the track, owing to faulty co-nstruction or subsequent sinking, lose its correct balanced contour, the springs 21 will compensate L therefor, and maintain contact between the arm and the track. The top surface of the track is inclined or pitched radially of the machine so that the rollers will always maintain full contact therewith. I prefer to make the stems 18 andthe sleeves receiving said stems of oval cross section to prevent the stems turning in the sleeves.

I have described the preferred form for imparting rotary movement to the central frame, but if desired the base of the frame may, as in Fig. 6, be pro-vided with a flat annular surface 22 which may rest on an annular series of wheels 23, journaled in housings 24 carried by a fixed'base 25, one or more of said wheels being power-driven as by a motor F. In Fig. 7 I show the frame provided with wheels which run on the fixed annular track, as in the preferred form, but the frame A in Fig. 7 is shown provided with a horizontally disposed cable sheave 26 which is engaged by the cable 27 which runs to the side where it may be wound around a power-driven drum orV other' driving device, not shown.

It is evident from the foregoing that as the central frame is rotated, the arm B and the passenger cars will revolve about the axis of the machine. said arm at the same time oscillating vertically on its horizontal axis, owing to its engagement with the undulating track D, thus imparting to the cars a swooping or undulating movement which is considered highly entertainingin the art, the propellers of the aeroplane cars revolving at great speed.

The undulations of the track may be made relatively very abrupt, owing to the fact that the cars will not tip in a planel tangential to their path of revolution. thus avoiding the danger of throwing out the passengers which would result if tipping were possible.

Ihe machine is compact and thus readily made portable to be carried from place to place, lending itself readily to a knockdown construction, and it is also both inexpensive toA manufacture, and thoroughly durable.

IVhat I desire to claim is 1. In an amusement device of the characvter described, the combination with two concentric annular tracks, the inner track maintaining a constant elevation while the outer' track has an undulating top surface, of a central support provided with wheels wherebyit is rotatably mounted on the inner track, an arm diametrically disposed relative to said central support and pivotally mounted thereon intermediate of the ends of said arm so as to swing on a horizontal axis, said arm engaging said outer track at two diametrically oppo-site points, and passenger cars mounted on the opposite ends of said arm, whereby when said support is rotated said cars travel around the axis of the amusement device in a swooping or undulating manner.

2. In an amusement device of the character described, the combination with two concentric annular tracks, the inner track maintaining a constant elevation while the outer track has an undulating top surface, of a central support provided with wheels whereby it is rotatably mounted on the inner track, an arm diametrically disposed relative to said central support and pivotally mounted thereon intermediate of the ends of said arm so as to swing on a horizontal axis, rollers on the opposite sides of the axis of said arm which engage the outer track at diametrically opposite points, and passenger cars mounted on the opposite ends of said arms, whereby when said support is rotated said cars travel around the axis of the amusemnt device in a swooping or undulating manner.

3. In an amusement device of the character described, the combination with two concentric annular tracks. the inner track maintaining a constant elevation while the outer track has an undulating top surface, of a central support provided with wheels whereby it is rotatably mounted on the inner track, an arm diametrically disposed relative to said central support and pivotaly mounted thereon intermediate of the ends or said arm so as to swing on a horizontal axis, resliently mounted rollers in the underside of the arin and engaging the outer track at dametrically opposite points, and passenger ears mounted on the opposite ends of said arms, whereby when said support is rotated said cars travel around the 10 axis of the amusement device in a swooping or undulatingmanner.

Signed at Sandusky, Ohio, this 14th day of February, 1922.

JOHN A. FISHER. 

